English Language Arts6-8
Station Rotation: Close Reading in The Maze Runner
By Gerald R.
A multi-station close-reading packet for 7th graders working through The Maze Runner by James Dashner, with guided questions at each station that build textual evidence, inference, and vocabulary-in-context skills. Stations focus on key Chapter 12 moments, including Thomas's first meeting with Minho and the Glader slang that shapes how the boys speak to each other.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use the stations as a rotation during a 45 to 60 minute ELA block, with small groups moving through each station and recording evidence on a shared response sheet.
- Discussion question: Why does Minho treat Thomas as if he knows nothing, and what does his attitude reveal about life in the Glade?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a sentence frame such as "Minho seems ___ because the text says ___," and pre-teach the Glader slang terms before stations begin.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to compare how Dashner builds tension through dialogue and setting across two or more stations and write a short analysis of the author's choices.
- Estimated time: Plan roughly 10 minutes per station plus 10 minutes for a whole-class debrief to connect findings across the rotation.
English Language Arts6-8
Station Rotation: Close Reading in The Maze Runner
By Gerald R.
A multi-station close-reading packet for 7th graders working through The Maze Runner by James Dashner, with guided questions at each station that build textual evidence, inference, and vocabulary-in-context skills. Stations focus on key Chapter 12 moments, including Thomas's first meeting with Minho and the Glader slang that shapes how the boys speak to each other.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use the stations as a rotation during a 45 to 60 minute ELA block, with small groups moving through each station and recording evidence on a shared response sheet.
- Discussion question: Why does Minho treat Thomas as if he knows nothing, and what does his attitude reveal about life in the Glade?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a sentence frame such as "Minho seems ___ because the text says ___," and pre-teach the Glader slang terms before stations begin.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask them to compare how Dashner builds tension through dialogue and setting across two or more stations and write a short analysis of the author's choices.
- Estimated time: Plan roughly 10 minutes per station plus 10 minutes for a whole-class debrief to connect findings across the rotation.